August 6th – Crayfish Foraging

Spend your Saturday doing something different and join EC CLUB for a day in the South Downs countryside learning how to forage and prepare crayfish.

Easily accessible from London, we will meet at the train station and from there walk straight into the countryside to our foraging site. We’ll take the scenic route on the way and will pass through rolling countryside and woodland. Our guide Jonnie, a wild food and countryside specialist will give us an insight into the local area along the way, talking about everything from local points of interest (including one of Ben Law’s famous eco houses of Grand Designs fame, which is on nearby National Trust land) to wild food in the hedgerows and wildlife identification.

Our foraging site is one of the most beautiful farms in the area and we’ll spend the day around a campfire by a woodland lake. We’ll learn about the impacts of the invasive American Signal crayfish and how to forage for them. Jonnie is a wild food specialist and can provide some insight into why he believes that wild food is the most environmentally acceptable way to go with our diets! Then we’ll empty the traps, light the campfire and cook and eat our crayfish (please bring a packed lunch too).

There’ll be time to relax around the fire before walking back to the train station a different way through the countryside.

You can get involved with as much of as little of the crayfish session as you want, do not feel obliged to take an active part in the processing or eating of the crayfish if you’d prefer to just come along for interest.

There will be ~ 2 ½ hours of walking.

Where are when? Meet at Haslemere Train Station at 10 am. There are direct trains to Haslemere from London Waterloo for those coming from London. We’ll be finished in time to catch trains home from 4 pm. Those that want to can stop for refreshments before getting the train home.

IMPORTANT: Please bring a packed lunch and a drink with you. The crayfish we catch will be used to supplement your packed lunch – using them as an addition to a salad or sandwich works well.